ombre manicure

Ombre is quite trendy right now. From hair to flowers to clothes, this look can be spotted anywhere! I have seen a number of ombre manicures, mostly on Pinterest. There are also a number of different methods people recommend. You can use the brush from your polish bottle to blend the colors together. You can also make each finger a different shade to create an ombre effect, like I did here and here. Or you can use a makeup sponge to dab and blend the colors.

The method I used for this manicure, I found on Pinterest. I had previously tried this method without success but I was determined to give it another try. First, find the colors you want to use for your ombre manicure. These can be different hues or tones of a similar color family. You can also go with a contrast look using black or white with a bold color for a nice pop!

I went with Essie's "My Place or Yours", "Very Cranberry", and "Runway Reality" for a three-tiered fading effect. Start with the lightest color and paint your entire nail in one or two coats - enough to get a good covering. Make sure you let the base color dry. This is very important! (And, the mistake that I made the first-time I used the sponge-applique ombre technique.)

Apply one or two lines of each polish color to the edge of the makeup sponge. Either light to dark, or dark to light - depending on how you want your final ombre effect to look. Make sure you get the polish on the sponge good and heavy because the sponge will soak up some of it. Now - take the sponge and press it down lightly on your nail. Hold for a few seconds. Then dab it a few times on that nail. The dabbing will help fade the colors together more harmoniously. Continue this process for all ten nails and finish with a top coat!

Voila!